Shop boss's casino spree after theft of £19,000

A shop manager stole more than £19,000 in takings from the branch of 99p Stores he ran and then gambled it away at a casino, a court was told.

Vishnu Amuram, manager at the 99p Stores shop in Halesowen, was today behind bars and now faces being deported back to his native India once he completes his prison sentence.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday that the 32-year-old had sole responsibility for running the store in Halesowen's Cornbow Centre.

Among his responsibilities was bagging up the takings at the end of the day and placing the money in a secure location.

But over four days last December, Amuram had instead pocketed the cash and used it to gamble on the roulette table at a casino. He lost all of the cash – a total of £19,240 – apart from £525 which was recovered after he admitted his deception.

Miss Helena Miller, prosecuting, said Amuram, of Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, had contacted his area manager on the morning of December 19 to admit what he had done.

"The company's loss protection manager was then called and saw the empty bags in the safe," she said. "Amuram said he had gambled the money away at a casino and admitted he had a gambling problem." Mr Ayoub Khan, defending, said: "He has been candid throughout the proceedings. He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and admits he has a gambling problem."

He said Amuram, who pleaded guilty to theft, had also claimed that he had been trying to raise money to pay for an operation needed by his sister.

But sentencing him to 12 months in prison, Judge Rosemary Bush dismissed this after being told Amuram's family had offered to sell property to pay compensation.

"I find it most curious your family was willing to put this property up for sale to help you but was not willing to do the same to help your sister," she told him.